By Charles Owens
For Bluefield Daily Telegraph
Bluefield — Bluefield City Manager Cecil Marson is asking area residents to enjoy all of the assets at city park, but is also cautioning against acts of vandalism.
While the city is gearing up for a busy spring and summer season at Lotito Park, some park facilities have already been vandalized, according to Marson.
”We’ve had a few folks tear up some of the bathrooms and put some graffiti on some of the signs in the basketball courts,” Marson said. “And we just ask folks to please be careful, and if you’ve got family out there to just try to do your best to keep that down. Because that’s just time and effort that we have to put in keeping it clean, and honestly, our parks are getting to a point now where they are really nice.”
Marson said the manpower and money that is required to clean up such acts of vandalism could be spent elsewhere on park improvement efforts.
”So we’re going to continue to make the parks better and more accessible,” Marson said. “And we would just hope that folks would do their best to help us take care of it. And that’s what we’re asking.”
A number of park improvements are underway, and some have already been completed. For example, new basketball goals have been added and bids are due soon on new concrete work and turf that is planned near the new splash pad, according to city Parks and Recreation Director Rick Showalter.
Showalter, who spoke about the ongoing improvements to city park at Tuesday’s city board meeting, said new water fountains and dog fountains also have been donated by the Community Foundation of the Virginias, and will be added to the park soon.
”Very excited about it,” Showalter said. “Our parks have been very full and our programs are going great.”
Old favorites, including Bluefield’s iconic Ridge Runner, also are gearing up for another summer season of fun.
Residents visiting city park last week noticed the Ridge Runner was already out. But the miniature train won’t officially begin its travels around city park until Memorial Day weekend.
Marson said the Ridge Runner was brought out last week for a national commercial that was filmed at the park.
”We had the Ridge Runner out last week, part of that was for a commercial they’re advertising,” Marson said. “The company that built the playground, it is one of their kind of foundational projects, and one of their bigger banner projects. So they are doing a national ad campaign, and they wanted to have our playground (and the Ridge Runner) in that.”
The city also is seeking bids for a new walking track addition that will largely circle the park.
As for the splash pad, the goal is to extend the splash pad area while also creating a nearby location where children can play on artificial turf, according to earlier reports from City Clerk and Assistant City Attorney Anthony Heltzel.
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